Boston Building Resources, Roxbury, Massachusetts

Universal ramp entry for Boston Building Resources in Roxbury Ma

Boston Building ResourcesRoxbury, Massachusetts

Boston Building Resources (BBR) provides Bostonians with a tremendous opportunity to recycle building materials. Contractors and homeowners may donate kitchen cabinets, doors, windows, etc. for reuse.Donations of high-quality building materials, new or used, helps people to repair and improve their homes while also sparing the environment from needless waste.

The co-op was founded in 1978 under the name Boston Building Materials Co-op. It began by providing new materials for home improvement with a special focus on kitchen cabinetry, windows, doors, energy-saving products, and green products.

BBR is now also focused on benefiting the environment. The organization is a source for energy-efficient, water-saving, and environmentally friendly items such as rainbarrels, home compost bins, weather stripping, and materials made from recycled components. Needless waste is reduced when reusable materials are donated to the Reuse Center at BBR instead of being sent to landfills.

My work with the BBR, through the Boston Main Streets program, was the design of a universally accessible ramp and parking space adjacent to their warehouse and sales floor. The work entailed designing a ramp that met requirements of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Regulations regarding accessibility. The work entailed both designing the ramp and providing construction pricing information for the work.

The ramp was constructed in 2011 by members of YouthBuildBoston. YouthBuild Boston provides hands-on vocational and academic training programs for young people in Boston looking to improve the trajectory of their lives. They teach life and career skills that graduates can put to work in the building trades.